Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Gala Coral sealed an all-share merger on Friday, creating a 2.3 billion pound ($3.4 billion) betting group that will seek to build on its dominance of Britain’s high streets to expand its online business, Reuters reported.

Hostess Brands LLC, the U.S. bakery company whose snack cake brands include Twinkies and Ding Dongs, has pulled itself from the auction block and will instead pursue an initial public offering (IPO), sources told Reuters.

A 2.2 billion euro ($2.43 billion) loan and bond financing backing the buyout of Saint-Gobain‘s glass bottle unit Verallia remains on hold after Greece rejected a compromise with international creditors, bankers said on Monday.

Blackstone Group LP (BX.N) and Carlyle Group LP (CG.O) are making a joint bid for NCR Corp (NCR.N) in a leveraged buyout that would be the year’s biggest at more than $10 billion, including debt, sources told Reuters.

Apollo Global Management LLC has agreed to acquire OM Group, a diversified industrials company, for $34 per share in cash. Also, Platform Specialty Products will buy OM Group’s electronic chemicals and photomasks business from Apollo in two separate deals for a total cash consideration of $365 million. Following these transactions, Apollo will own OM Group’s magnetic technologies, battery technologies and advanced organics businesses. BNP Paribas is serving as financial advisor to OM Group while Deutsche Bank Securities Inc is doing likewise for OM Group’s board of directors. Also, Lazard and Credit Suisse are serving as financial advisors to Apollo.

Apollo Global Management has agreed to provide $300 million in funding to CH2M. According to terms of the deal, Apollo will invest $200 million in convertible preferred stock in CH2M at the closing, with $100 million more to come within the one-year period following the transaction’s completion. In addition to the funding, Apollo will take two seats on CH2M’s board of directors. Based in Englewood, Colorado, CH2M is a provider of critical infrastructure and natural resource solutions.

Apollo Global Management LLC has agreed to acquire two security monitoring companies Protection 1 and ASG Security. No financial terms were disclosed for the transaction that is expected be completed in mid-2015. Both companies will merge and operate under the Protection 1 brand. Credit Suisse, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Jefferies and RBC are providing the financing for the deal. Morgan Stanley and Raymond James are providing financial advice to Protection 1 while Goldman Sachs is doing likewise for ASG Security.

New York and Ohio-based online lending platform LendKey has raised up to $1 billion in funding from MidCap Financial, which is backed by Apollo Global Management LLC. According to LendKey, this capital infusion will be used to expand its student loan refinancing programs.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Said Monday it has agreed to buy Brit PLc for $1.88 billion. Fairfax is paying 305 pence cash per Brit share, including any final dividend for the year ended Dec. 31, 2014. Apollo Global and CVC Capital Partners own about 73 percent of Brit, a specialty insurer and reinsurer.

Aluminum processor Aleris Corp IPO-ARS.N filed on Thursday to withdraw its $500 million initial public offering, nearly three years after postponing the listing due to market conditions, Reuters reported.

Prestige Cruises International Inc, which was bought by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd in a $3 billion deal in September, filed with U.S. regulators to withdraw its plan for an initial public offering, Reuters reported.

Australia-listed construction giant Leighton Holdings Ltd (LEI.AX) said it had formed a joint venture with New York-listed Apollo Global Management LLC (APO.N) to run its services businesses, valuing the firms at A$1.08 billion ($880 million).

To start your Halloween Friday, ghoulish First Read delivers spooky news about Omega buying Aviv for a frightening $3 billion, Starbucks eerily plans on launching a delivery service and the monstrous FTC fines a dating site for making up user profiles. Happy Halloween!